June 19 and 20, Florence and Rome

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Thursday, June 20 – Rome Day 1

Today was our first whole day in Rome and it was a day filled with volleyball!  We started off the morning headed to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour that just happened to be in Rome when we were there.  What an amazing setting!  The sand courts were set up in the middle of all these Roman statues, and there was even some shade…thank goodness.  We watched some men’s doubles (crazy good) and the women’s Italian doubles win their match, and then were lucky enough to get a photo opp with one of the Italian players after her win.  

 We had a small window of time between the sand matches and our own matches in the afternoon, so we hopped in a cab to the Trevi Fountain.  After singing our Lizzie McGuire song, making our wishes, throwing in our coins, and of course some gelato, we hiked it back to our hotel.  On the walk, we randomly ran into another NNJ family on a street corner that was in Rome vacationing on a completely different trip.  I would say small world, but since there are close to 4 million people in Rome, I thought that was a bizarre coincidence.

On a bus and off to our volleyball matches, it was yet again “Bikram Volleyball”.   After many pounds lost in sweat and some good volleyball games, the girls were surprised with an awards ceremony afterwards from the Roma coaches.  All players were announced and received medals, plus the girls exchanged jerseys and took pictures with the Roma players.  We then ALL went to dinner, which I think is one of the best parts of the whole trip.  Watching the girls interact with each other, despite the language barrier, is very cool to see.  There were probably 100 of us players, coaches, and families from both the NNJ and Rome teams all mixed together, and it was a loud and fun group.  The hospitality was overwhelming and a great way to end our volleyball experience abroad!

July 19—First night in Rome by Jensen Oppio and Hannah Kip

After a long day of traveling through Florence and on the bus, we finally arrived in Rome! We all hopped off the bus with our luggage and began walking to our hotel, Hotel Dei Mille. It is a very small hotel with one elevator that only fits two people. However, we are across from two pizzerias!  Once everyone was checked into their rooms we met for dinner. We walked two blocks until we were seated at an Italian restaurant. We were served tons of bread, pasta, and potatoes. Then, Jason decided to take all of us to watch a beach volleyball match! [note: The FIVB World Tour was in in Rome when we were, so we couldn’t pass it up!] We were all split up into many little taxis. The ride to the match was long and hot, but it was worth it. Finally, we got out of the taxis and all took pictures in front of the beach volleyball tournament sign. 

There were three volleyball matches going on when we arrived but we watched the American team! We all sat on the huge steps surrounding the arena and watched the American team play. It was the perfect temperature and the perfect way to end our first night in Rome.

July 19, Pordenone to Florence

            Players hopped a bus and parents hopped a train to Florence this morning. We only had a brief stop of 4 hours to explore the great city. A lot of us were excited to explore the historical side---Florence is said to be the birthplace of the Renaissance, with incredible sights for art, music, theater, science, architecture, and other cultural shifts from more medieval cities. A few of us visited Galileo’s science museum, while others spent more time around Il Duomo, Piazza della Signiora and the David, and Ponte Vecchio. It’s amazing how much you can see in just a quick walk. 

Photo by Sasha Deming

            After walking for a long time through small city streets, we found a small restaurant across the Arno from the city center. The Osteria is typical of Florence and Tuscany; with only a small dining room and three or four tables, the restaurant has a family, at-home feel. We enjoyed caprese and brie salads, and some incredible ravioli.

            A steep hike past the old brick city walls led us to Michelangelo’s square, which gifted us with a panoramic view of the entire city. To say that it was breathtaking and beautiful is an understatement.

            After a quick ride back to town, we met up with the group in order to catch the bus to Rome. A lot of people found some beautiful leather ware from the market, and some great scarves and small wallets. We all explored Florence in our own ways, and I think we would all return there to spend more time if we ever get the chance.